10 Shocking Wrestler Ages That Will Blow Your Mind

9. Big Boss Man

Earthquake Hulk Hogan
WWE.com

This one might not be classified as "shocking".

Though absolutely not somebody whose pint you'd like to spill - he'd chin yer f*ckin' dog - the Big Boss Man's face wasn't as grizzled and weathered as your average '80s alpha. Indeed, there was a certain freshness to him. He looked a bit like the lad at school who looked 40 when he was 16.

But he still wasn't 26 years old when he worked Hulk Hogan on Saturday Night's Main Event. No chance.

This puts him at just 23 when he worked a major programme as heel killer Big Bubba Rogers opposite Dusty Rhodes in '86. Actually, that is shocking. An agile brawler, his age was obscured further by his administrator-adjacent gear. Though he didn't look like he was in his 20s, he used his youth to his advantage to get over; there were few better at taking such dramatic tumbles to the outside to fire up a crowd.

What's even more bizarre in retrospect is that the Big Boss Man was just 35 when he returned as the black-clad Attitude Era bully. When you were 14, you thought some middle-aged '80s wrestler had returned.

He'd just be getting the main roster call in 2021.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!